The world’s first iPad-based, cloud-powered hospitality point-of-sale system

Way back in 2009, hospitality point-of-sales (POS) systems were dominated by a few major players with outdated technology and complicated sales and support networks.

DEPT® recognised how vulnerable the hospitality industry and these companies were to disruption. We imagined a lot of different ways to improve the experience users were having—so many that eventually we decided to give it a shot. 

The challenge was to improve the user experience within the POS system, so we partnered with experts in the field and moved quickly to develop a competing product that would transform the point-of-sale experience. From that… Breadcrumb was born.

Our core idea was to design and develop a modern and functional POS system that would compete with existing dated technologies. This effort required all of our capabilities, from strategy and delivery to creative and engineering. 

We started by researching competitors and learning all about how POS systems work. We sketched user flows and did testing to validate our assumptions. And then we designed and built the full experience.

The software revolutionised the industry with its innovative Python Django back-end development, Rightscale auto-scaling solution, and async task processor powered by RabbitMQ and Celery. 

Breadcrumb’s innovative technology connects to multiple receipt printers at any one time, and enables businesses to customise their POS system to reflect their menus, prices, tax, discounts, and table management. 

Breadcrumb was quickly adopted across a vast range of retail establishments throughoutNorth America thanks to its iOS compatibility, allowing payments via Apple Pay and digital credit cards.

Breadcrumb quickly became a leader in the POS space and was acquired by Groupon in 2012. Breadcrumb changed the game being deployed in thousands of coffee shops, bars, and restaurants across North America over the past decade. Subsequently acquired by Upserve, Breadcrumb POS lives on using the same core user experience and design that we pioneered back in the day. 

Breadcrumb’s rapid ascent in the POS arena validates the innovative and disruptive nature of the technology. Through our mobile-first solution, we redefined the user experience and design, leaving a mark on the industry.